It's All About the Giveback with Lisa Wagner EP: 32

Update: 2020-01-08

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“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GIVEBACK”

Lisa Wagner, Vice President and Commercial Business Development Officer at ConnectOne Bank, has a talent for helping others. Her varied career has taken many forms. But whether in sales, banking or community service, for Lisa, it all boils down to one thing: “It’s all about the giveback,” she says. “It’s the circle of life: you give and all good comes from that.”

Listen as she describes her journey from media production administration to relationship building at a growing regional bank, and why giving back has been critical to her success.

BANKING AND WEIGHT LOSS - WHAT’S THE CONNECTION?

Lisa began her career in fashion retailing. Within a few years she joined a media production company in New York City hoping to pursue her dream of a career in radio, television and film. Disillusioned by the slow pace of advancement in that field, however, she left to join Nutrisystem, discovered and honed her skills in sales, and rose to the level of regional manager there.

Lisa enjoyed great success; Nutrisystem not so much. Within a few years, Nutrisystem was forced to shut its weight loss centers. Despite this set back, Lisa knew she had a knack for creating and building customer relationships.

A former co-worker suggested she look into a career in banking. Turns out, retail banking and managing sales at weight loss centers are very similar. Who knew? You will after you listen to Lisa describe her unpredictable career move.

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER

“It is sooo important to understand your client’s business,” Lisa advises. To succeed in today’s banking world, you need to think and work collaboratively. You can’t do that without an appreciation of the challenges and risks your clients face. Good advice to anyone in business? Listen to why Lisa thinks it is.

LISA’S TOOLBOX

Lisa is a big believer in the power of networking. “I network to find resources for my clients,” she says. She describes the importance of meeting all sorts of people in different industries and connecting people to one another. “Because you can never predict what service or product your client might need,” she advises, “you want to build a toolbox of relationships.” You’ll want to learn how she does it.

EXCITING TIMES IN BANKING

Lisa has advice to women seeking careers in banking. Retail branch banking is changing, she says. Technology is allowing us to do much more remotely. As branches become more operations oriented, she predicts there will be all sorts of opportunities for those looking at operational careers: compliance, law, technology, credit underwriting, etc.

For those interested in public-facing positions, she offers, “If you do something you enjoy, your enthusiasm will come through and you’re going to succeed at it.”

ABOUT LISA

Lisa Wagner is a Vice President and Commercial Business Development Officer at ConnectOne Bank, headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.

Lisa began her career in fashion retailing. Within a few years she joined a media production company in New York City hoping to pursue her dream of a career in radio, television and film. She learned about sales and management working for Nutrisystem, and later took her relationship-building skills to commercial banking, eventually finding her way to ConnectOne Bank.

When not working with her clients, Lisa sits on the Board of Trustees for Imagine, a Union County, NJ-based not-for-profit organization that provides grief support and educational resources for children, teens, and adults coping with loss due to a death of a family member.